Automatic backwater valve



Dec. l, 1936. F. B. .MINGUSET A1. 2,062,423

AUTOMATIC vBACKWATER VALVE Filed July 23, 1935 Magi-v m. "a d Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEA AUTOMATIC BACKWATER VALVE Fred B. Mingus and Walter R. Meyer, Oshkosh, Wis.

Application-July 23, 1935, Serial No. 32,792

6 Claims.

through the drain, special means being provided to insure the closing of the valve and also to hold the float in its proper vertical position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specication and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a drain pipe showing the improved automatic backwater valve in an open position;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through a drain pipe showing the valve mechanism in a closed position;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical section through the hinge portion of the valve showing the means for regulating the tension upon the valve.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that D designates a drain which may be of any suitable or desired type of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. The drain D is provided with the conventional shoulder S near its upper end, and carries a closure grate or perforated plate P of the usual type of construction.

The present invention embodies principally a surface plate or top plate ID preferably of a disclike structure having an upwardly extending inwardly inclined flange I I upon its periphery, the plate I9 being adapted to rest upon the supporting ring R which in turn rests upon the shoulder S of the drain pipe D. This top plate IB is also provided with a centrally located opening I2 around the edge of which is formed a depending annular flange I3 which will constitute a valve seat for the valve I4 or sealing disc I9. The ilange II is inclined inwardly to facilitate corking, as indicated at Ila.

Suspending bolts I5 are secured to the plate l0 to one side of the opening I2,.as shown in Figure 1, and these suspending bolts I5 carry a spacing block I'B upon which rests a hinge plate I1. Thehinge plate I1'is interposed between the bottom face of the plate I0 and the upper face of the block I5. A hinge plate I8 is secured to the bottom face of the block I6, as shown in Figure l, and is anchored in position by the bolts I5. The hinge arm I4 is hingedly connected to thehing'e plateI'I, as shown in the drawing, and this hinge armV I4 jcarries a valve or sealing disc E9 upon its upper'face, which valve I9fmay be of any suitable or desired nature to provide al sealing and water-tight fit uponrthe lower edge of the flange I3 when the valve I9 is moved to a closed position, such as is shown in Figurej2.

The hinge arm I4 is provided near its outer end with a depending knuckle 23'to which is hingedly secured, as atv 24, the depending float supporting pendulum rod 25, which rod 25 carries the cork or other similar float 26 atits lower end. The float 26 is adjustable upon the lower threadfit ed end of the rod 25. Therod 25 extends-through n cured to the knuckle 26, as shown in Figure 4.

This threaded rod 21 is provided with a reduced extension 28 which is threaded into1the yoke 29. The yoke 29 is pivotally connected to the float supporting rod 25 by means ofa pin`3ll. A coil spring 3l isl connectedat one end to the apertured plate 22, andat its opposite end to an adjustable hanger plate 32. The hangerplate 32 is provided with an aperture 33 through which the threaded rod 21 extends, as shownin Figure 4.

The valve I9 `will normally hang in the position shown inFigure 1, to allow the openingy I2 to remain open and it should be noted that. all of the operating parts of the valve are mounted upon the under face of the valve, .thereby protecting these operating parts and allowing a free unobstructed flow of Waterthrough the opening I2; Consequently, the mechanism will be shield,- edand in a position to be protected against damage. Should a backflow of water occur, the flo-at will ride upon the surface of the water entering the trap or drain D, thereby swinging the valve I9 from the, position shown in full lines in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. The weight ofthe valve, howeverunder normal conditions will be sufficient to hold the valve in an open position but upon the entrance of a backiiow of water the buoyancy ofthe float 26 will cause the valve I9 to raise to a1 closed position whereupon thev spring 3l will assistiti more tightly forcing the valve I9 to a closed position and thereby seal the-entrance opening or valve seat I3. A1

By carefully considering Figure 4, it shouldabe understoodthat the hanger plate 32;-may beadjusted upon the length of the threaded rod 21;to increase for. decreasel the itension of the spring, 3l since by sliding the plate 32 upwardly upon the length of the rod 21, the tension of the spring 3| will be increased, thereby allowing the valve I9 to be normally held at a desired angle. Ordinarily, the rod 2'I may be properly adjusted upon the yoke 29 when assembling the device, and the plate 32 will normally rest against the shoulder 34, as shown in Figure 4, but as stated above this plate 32 may be adjusted to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, to increase the tension of the spring and to hold the valve I9 in a more nearly closed position. Through the medium of this structure, a very simple and eicient tension controlling device will be provided to regulate the angle which will be normally assumed by the valve I9. As soon as the buoyancy of the Water tends to lift the float 26, the spring 2| will tend to snap the valve I9 to a closed position.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a very simple and efficient automatic backwater valve has been provided which is especially adapted for placing in sewer drains in basements, and the like, to act under all conditions and to automatically close the opening in the drain to prevent the backwash of water through the drain. This device is especially adapted to prevent the backing up of the water in the sewer into the basement which would cause damage and loss to the contents of the basement.

The device is especially adapted to be installed in the conventional hub or bell of the basement drain without changing the drain and it is not the purpose of this application to limit the structure to any particular type of drain structure. The plate P will shield the drain against the entrance of foreign material such as paper, chips, cigar or cigarette butts, and thereby protect the valve I9.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new isz- 1. A device of the class described comprising a plate having an opening, and a valve seat formed around the opening, a valve hingedly secured adjacent the opening and adapted to open and close the opening, a pendulum rod hingedly secured to said valve, a float carried by said pendulum rod, said pendulum rod connecting the oat to the valve, and means ,engaging said pendulum rod for holding the same in a substantially vertical position and preventing the swinging of the oat back against the valve, the lifting action of water upon the oat being adapted to force said valve tightly upon its seat.

2. A device of the class described comprising a plate having an opening, and a valve seat formed around the opening, a valve hingedly secured adjacent the opening and adapted to open and close the opening, a pendulum rod hingedly secured to said valve, a float carried by said pendulum rod, said pendulum rod connecting the oat to the valve, and a hingedly mounted rod extending under said valve and engaging said pendulum rod for holding said pendulum rod in a substantially upright position and preventing the pendulum rod and oat from swinging back against the valve.

3. A device of the class described comprising a plate having an opening, and a valve seat formed around the opening, a valve hingedly secured adjacent the opening and adapted to open and close the opening, a pendulum rod hingedly secured to said valve, a oat carried by said pendulum rodl said pendulum rod connecting the oat to the valve, a hingedly mounted rod extending under said valve and engaging said pendulum rod for holding said pendulum rod in a substantially up. right position and preventing the pendulum rod and iioat from swinging back against the valve, and spring means for assisting in holding the valve in a closed position after said float is raised.

4. A device of the class described comprising a plate having an opening, and a valve seat formed around the opening, a valve hingedly secured ad-ljacent the opening and adapted to open and close the opening, a pendulum rod hingedly secured to said valve, a oat carried by said pendulum rod, said pendulum rod connecting the float to the valve, a hingedly mounted rod extending under said valve and engaging said pendulum rod for holding said pendulum rod in a substantially upright position and preventing the pendulum rod and float from swinging back against the valve, a spring engaging said rod and assisting in holding the valve in a closed position after said oat has been raised, a hanger plate, said spring being secured to said hanger plate, and said hanger plate being adjustable upon said hingedly mounted rod for regulating the tension of said spring and adjusting the normal angle at which said valve extends when in an open position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a plate having an opening, and a valve seat formed around the opening, a valve hingedly secured adjacent the opening and adapted to open and close the opening, a float hingedly secured to the valve to insure a tight t of the valve upon its seat, a pendulum rod hingedly secured to said valve, a float carried by said pendulum rod, said pendulum rod connecting the float to the valve, a hingedly mounted rod extending under said valve and engaging said pendulum rod for holding said pendulum rod in a substantially upright position and preventing the pendulum rod and float from swinging back against the valve, a spring engaging said rod and assisting in holding the valve in a closed position after said oat has been raised, a hanger plate, said spring being secured to said hanger plate, said hanger plate being adjustable upon said hingedly mounted rod for regulating the tension of said spring and adjusting the normal angle at which said valve extends when in an open position, said hanger plate having an aperture through which said hingedly mounted rod extends, and said hingedly mounted rod being threaded whereby said hanger plate may be held in an adjusted position upon the length of said hingedly mounted rod.

6. A device of the class described comprising a support having an opening formed therein, a valve hingedly secured adjacent said opening, a float, means hingedly suspending said float below said valve, and means engaging said last mentioned means for holding the last mentioned means and said float in a substantially vertical position whereby liquid entering below and engaging said float will force said valve to a closed position over said opening.

y FRED B. MIN GUS.

WALTER R. MEYER. 

